ShopAdvisor has announced that version 3.0 of the ShopAdvisor API is now generally available. The API allows developers to build applications that can make online-to-offline retailer oriented queries which can then be used to provide information for mobile marketing campaigns.

Building APIs not only requires discipline; ideally, the process also should be incorporated within the actual development process of the application. With that goal in mind, Zend, a provider of application development tools for building PHP applications, is promoting the adoption of a new open-source Apigility project that provides a standardized way to build and maintain multiple versions of an API.

There is something to be said for simplicity, especially when it comes to applications that leverage web APIs for mobile devices. Enter Sparrow, an application for the iPhone, that serves as a good example of how a few web APIs can be elegantly implemented for use on a mobile device.